Pomo people
Pomo is a man of created term for various Indian groups living in the cultural area of California. At the beginning of the 19th century there were about 14,000 Pomo, 1975, there were only 496 you speak a Hokan language.
The Pomo saw themselves not as such, but got along. Than members of their own small, completely autonomous groups The groups spoke different dialects, identical with the seven geographical divisions of the Pomo, the Southwestern (also Kashaya ), Southern, Northern, Central, North Eastern, Eastern and Southeastern Pomo. The size of the individual villages varied greatly. It is estimated that they each domiciled 125-1500 people. Most lived some families, about 20 to 30 people together in big houses. The Pomo gathered acorns, berries and plant seeds and hunted antelope, deer and small game. In addition, they ate caterpillars and grasshoppers.
Because of their belief in spirits, the Pomo knew various ceremonies with which they wanted to secure the good will of the spirits. Presumably, the Pomo were very peaceful people; there is little evidence for warlike activities. The individual groups of Pomo were characterized by different forms of culture. So it was depending on the group or individual municipal land ownership. Some of the chiefdom was inherited, partly chose the Pomo their chief. Sometimes the structure of the tribal system was rather simple, at other times quite complex.
Southeastern Pomo
The Southeastern Pomo lived dispersed in three villages, which were on islands in the East Lake and the Lower Lake. The climate was characterized by long dry periods in summer and abundant rainfall in winter. The land in the villages themselves was owned by the family, the one outside the villages was managed communally. The village stood in front of each a chief, his skills, however, are handed unclear. The usual food of the Pomo Southeastern Pomo by complemented the fish. They operated with neighboring ethnic groups brisk trade.
Around 1812 came the Spaniards before in the area of Southeastern Pomo. A little later reached American trappers Clear Lake. Soon be left Spain United Ranger down in this area. At a first serious conflict there in 1841, the Pomo as a bat indigenous to the Clear Lake Valley ranchers help in harvesting his crop. These refused any cooperation, whereupon the rancher sent a force which massacred the men of one of the islands.
1850 conquered the Americans, the region around the lakes. A year later, American settlers began to settle there. The Southeastern Pomo were forced to work on the farms; so went a large part of their traditions lost. Many Indians died as a result of introduced diseases such as smallpox, whooping cough, measles, tuberculosis, and the like. The population of the Pomo fell very sharply within a short time. More and more they had to give the whites. Often they dodged in mission stations. In 1878 and in 1879 bought various groups of Pomo together 90 acres of land, which they farmed together. The population continued to fall. In 1911, still 431 Southeastern Pomo lived mostly on white farms; before the arrival of the whites they had probably counted about 3,000 souls. A year later, the government established a reserve, in which attracted some Pomo. Others moved to the cities or stayed at one of six farms.